LBJ, Connally On The Death Trip
curtjester1
with JFK about which car Connally was going to ride in. Basically with
these statements untrue it should give rise from a criminal investigation
point of view because in all good criminal investigations, opportunity is
a necessary factor to solve a crime.
First, LBJ has substansial control over JFK's Texas trip and his
itinerary. JFK placed the trip in Johnson and his friends hands since it
was their home state. The trip was on the burner for about a year prior
to April 23, 1963, when LBJ announced that the President would visit Texas
in the near future. Less than 45 days after the announcement the basic
outline for a November trip to Texas was agreed upon in a private meeting
between Kennedy, Johnson, and Connally at the Cortez Hotel in Texas. The
Secret Service, the bulk of the White House Staf, and the public however,
were not informed about the details of the trip until just weeks before it
occurred. From the outset, only the three knew the details. The three
also agreed that since Texas was the home state of Johnson and Connally,
THEY would be in charge of the planning. Subsequently, the length of the
trip was extended from only one day to a tour of Dallas, Ft. Worth, San
Antonio, Houston, and Austin.
By September of 1963 ini conjuction with the lengthened trip, Governor
Connally proposed a motorcade through Dallas followed by a luncheon, and
then a flight to Austin.
The motorcade was to follow the traditional Dallas parade route that had
been used since at least 1936. However, because few spectators were
expected at the end of the traditional route, it was originally proposed
that the motorcade would avoid the TSBD area and would proceed straight
ahead on Main Street, allowing the motorcade to build up speed on a
straightaway before getting on to the expressway (Stemmons). But the
route that was eventually selected for the end of the motorcade required a
turn off the parade street (Main Street), travel on a side street for one
block (Houston Street), a sharp turn onto another street (Elm Street past
the TSBD), and then a procession straight for one block on to the freeway.
The turn onto Elm Street past the book depository violated the safety
policy of the Secret Service which discouraged 90 degree or greater turns
because it created a slow down for the Presidential vehicle and made the
President an easier target. The straight-away route was the only logical
route if the White House Staff's proposed noon luncheon site for the
President would have been accepted. But the Texas planners would not
agree to change either the end of the motorcade route, or the proposed
luncheon site. Their strange insistence in demanding that these details
not be adjusted has to this day bothered members of Kennedy's White House
staff.
Kennedy had a personal advanceman, Jerry Bruno, whose job was to travel to
the site in advance of the President's trip to insure that all the aspects
of the trip would run smoothly and safely. Over a month before the trip,
Bruno demanded that the Texas planners' motorcade route not be taken.
Bruno felt that the planners' route created unnecessary risks for the
President by making him slow moving target in an open area. In late
October, Bruno flew to Dallas to specifically meet with Connally to
discuss more details of the President's trip. Before Bruno met with
Connally, he talked with U.S. Senator Ralph Yarborough of Texas. Their
discussion ended with Yarborough warning Bruno that Johnson and Connally
would be "...after John Kennedy in a minute if they thought they could get
away with it politically." Bruno then left Yarborough and went to see
Connally as planned.
In his book, The Advanceman, Bruno described the unusual and bitter fight
that he had with Connallly over the Texas planned motorcade route. To
this day, Bruno has not been able to understand why Governor Connally was
so adamant that the death route be taken. According to Bruno, Connally
became so insistent that the Texas planned route and luncheon site be
followed that a strong argument broke out. When the Connally-Bruno
dispute reached heated stages, according to Bruno, Connally got on the
telephone to the White House and in Bruno's presence (with him hearing
only one side of the conversation), it appeared that the White House
agreed with his plans since he was in charge of the trip. Bruno then
relented and let the proposed motorcade and luncheon site proceed as
planned by the Texans. After the assassination Bruno learned that the
White House Staff had NOT agreed with Connally at all. Bruno then
realized that somehow he hand been talked into accepting plans that were
against his better judgment.
On October 4, 1963, Connally flew to Washington to finalize plans and meet
with the President. According to members of the White House staff,
Kennedy hadbeen advised NOT to make the trip and those involved in his
administration still insist that it was Johnson and Connally who urged
that the trip go on as planned. On that same Oct. 4th eventing, after
Connally left the White House, he met Johnson for dinner. What was
discussed with between them has never been publicly disclosed nor whether
LBJ inqired about the Texas trip. However, after this meeting, and as the
the Bobby Baker scandal surfaced in Washington amidst rumors tying Johnson
to the scandal, Johnson left for his Texas ranch to get ready to give
President Kennedy a "Texas Welcome." Aside from one or two short trips
out of Texas, Johnson did not return to Washington and had nothing to do
but prepare for Kennedy's trip the next month.
The Warren Commission deliberately ignored most of these important facts.
Its 1964 report all but ignored the parade route controversy and the
exceptional efforts undertaken by the Texas planners to make sure the
route that was chosen by them was used. The Commission's statement that
the "appropriate route was chosen" was the pinnacle of sophistry. It was
only appropriate (ignoring the 90 degree turn issue) if the luncheon site
chosen by the Texas planners was appropriate. And the luncheon site
dictating the route selected was a safety risk according to Kennedy's
advanceman Bruno.
The WC justified the three block detour at the end of the route as
"necessary" because it prevented the motorcade from making an illegal
turn. This was preposterous. Even school children know that when parades
and important motorcades occur -- especially when the President is
involved -- roads are blockaded, speeds are exceeded, and traffic rules
are ignored. If it was safer to make illegal turns this would have been
done. The route selected was improper and the WC's attempts at justifying
it are beyond comprehension.
[ To those who have read the WC report, another factor was raised by the
Commission in finding the selected route appropriate. That factor was a
concrete riser which the Commission claimed would have impeded the
motorcade if the alternate route would have been accepted. However, the
Commission's claim was false. The riser was not an impediment to traffic
flow. Rather, the mounded concrete riser similar to a speed bump, was
illegally traversed everyday by Dallas motorists to get onto the
expressway from Main Street. As proof of this fact are photographs which
depict the speed bump as well as traffic signs directing motorists not to
make the illegal turn. This routine crossover practice therefore would
have been extremely safe for the motorcade especially without other
traffic in the area.]
The WC's handling of Oswald's employment in the TSBd, at the end of the
parade route, is just as incomprehensible. Oswald started his job on
October 16th, DAYS AFTER Connally's visit in Washington with Kennedy where
parade plans were being confirmed (and his dinner with Johnson). He got
his job in the specific building on the motorcade route when a job opening
did not exist. In spite of this, the WC found that Oswald's employment in
the TSBD occurred without Oswald having advance knowledge of the
President's parade route. This finding was based solely on the premise
that Oswald could not have known about the motorcade route because at that
time, neither the general public, nor even the Secret Service were told
the route. But his premise ignored the fact that the Texas' planners
knew, and insisted, that the motorcade travel the specific route that
would take it past Oswald's place of employment.
One of the most perplexing actions before the assassination that the White
House Staff was unalbe to comprehend was why JOhnson and his friends, who
had arranged for and planned the trip, did little during the weeks
preceding it to drum up luncheon support. The Dallas luncheon tickets
were selling slowly even though the proceeds would help the party. The
administration began speculating that Johnson and some Texans intending to
embarrass Kennedy by not having visible Texas support for the President.
Of course, in hindsight, ticket sales for the Dallas luncheon were
unimportant since Kennedy never made it there.
The Johnson trip planning was only part of the broader picture. If
Johnson had gotten his way, the assassination tragedy would have been even
worse! On Thursday evening, November 21, 1963, Hohnson entered Kennedy's
suite. Only hours before JFK's death, an argument erupted in the suite so
violent that the First Lady heard the shouting in the next room. Even the
hotel staff heard the two men having an exceptionally forceful argument.
The noise suddently abated and Johnson left the presidential suite "like a
pistol" with arms and legs pumping up and down, and looking furious.
What did the two argue about? They fought about Johnson's demand to
change the seating position in the cars on the morning of the motorcade.
Kennedy had Johnson riding with Johnson's enemy U.S. Senator Ralph
Yarborough. Johnson however demanded that Senator Yarborough ride with
Kennedy.... leaving Johnson and Connally traveling together in a trailing
car. Kennedy refused to accept the seating changes demanded by Johnson,
and inexplicably Johnson refused to abide by Kennedy's plan. Ultimately,
Kennedy prevailed, and Kennedy and Connally were shot.
At the time of the shots, Connally was sitting in the seat directly in
front of the President. Connally has repeatedly sworn that when the shots
were fired and he was struck by a bullet, he was unawared that the
President had been hit. Yet, upon being hit, Connally immediately
exclaimed: "Oh, no, oh my God, THEY are going to kill us all."
The exclamation by Connally is known in the law as an "excited utterance."
Excited utterances are regularly accepted as valid evidence in courts (as
an exception to evidentiary hearsay rules) because of the spontaneity of
such statements following an event. Experience has shown that what a
person blurts out in immediate response to a crisis is normally reliable
and truthful since there is no time to think or make up a story. On
examination, Connally's excited utterance is very unusual. Looks at the
words. Why, after immediately being hit by a bullet, and without knowing
that anyone else was shot at or injured, did he say "they" and "kill us
all."
Most accident victims, if they are unaware of other people's injuries,
immediatlely revert towards self-preservation by thoughts, words, and
deeds (i.e. a gun is fired, everyone ducks). Psychologists confirm this
self-preservation action as part of human nature. Therefore, the more
appropriate spontaneous utterance from Connally (especially not knowing
that Kennedy was hit) should have been "I am shot", or "I've been hit", or
"I am hurt", or even "they are going to kill me." Because Connally was
originally unaware that the President, who was behind him, was also shot,
why were hsi first words "they" are going "to kill us all". Is it
possible that at the immediate instant when the bullet struck, Connally
finally put together the pieces realizing that he had been duped by
Johnson into innocently supplying him with information that LBJ had now
used for political destruction? Or, maybe other rational explanations
exist?
If Johnson had gotten his way with the motorcade seating, he would not
only have succeeded Kennedy as President, but his enemy Ralph Yarborough
may have also been destroyed. As usual, after the murder, Johnson denied
that a confrontation had occurred between Kennedy and himself about car
seating positions. In fact, Johnson began telling the press that on the
morning of Kennedy's death, the two had allegedly talked about running
together again inn the coming election (Kennedy's last dictated words to
his secretary were that Johnson would NOT be on his ticket).
Taken from Zirbel's Texas Connection, Chapter 27.
CJ
Martin Shackelford
Tampa--check out the details in Ultimate Sacrifice by Waldron and Hartmann.
Slow ticket sales were due to a lack of enthusiasm for JFK among the Dallas
elite, as various sources have noted. The original plan for the Women's
Building was designed to attract a broader cross-section of Dallas
residents, and likely more enthusiasm for JFK, but Connally wanted the elite
and the Trade Mart.
I've seen no evidence that LBJ tried to put Yarborough with
Kennedy--traditionally, the Governor would ride with the President, and
there was never a change in that plan. LBJ just didn't want Yarborough, an
old political rival, riding in HIS car, seeking rather to shunt him off to
ride with other members of Congress.
Zirbel's book is very informative, but not always reliable.
Martin
"curtjester1" <curtj...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1192044460.8...@r29g2000hsg.googlegroups.com...
Gil Jesus
BRAVO BRAVO BRAVO
bigdog
>
> read more »
The problem with turning onto the Stemmons freeway from main isn't the
legality of it. That wasn't the issue. In fact, when the motorcade turned
onto Houston, it was going the wrong way on a one way street. For a
Presidential motorcade, obviously normal traffic rules can be set aside.
The reason the motorcade was forced to jog over to Elm St is that there
was a concrete barrier in place specifically to prevent traffic from Main
St from trying to make a dangerous right turn onto the Stemmons freeway
crossing the Elm St traffic in the process. In order to turn onto the
Stemmons freeway from main, the motorcade would have had to make a U-turn
around the barrier and then another to get onto the freeway ramp. That
would be a neat trick for a stretch limo. An even more difficult move for
the press bus that was following. This S-shaped route would have been even
more awkward then the turn from Houston onto Elm and would have required
the limo to slow down even more. Had JFK been shot during that series of
turns, everyone would logically be asking why the hell didn't the
motorcade just jog over to Elm St and enter the freeway in a more normal
fashion.
The bottom line is that once it was decided the motorcade would take the
Stemmons freeway to the Trade Mart, it would have made no sense at all to
continue on Main St through Dealey Plaza.
curtjester1
> You seem to overlook the fact that there were similar turns in Chicago and
> Tampa--check out the details in Ultimate Sacrifice by Waldron and Hartmann
> elite, as various sources have noted. The original plan for the Women's
I think the point was that LBJ did nothing to promote the venue at the
TradeMart. He should have been getting on the horn to do that. He
owned a TV station.
> Building was designed to attract a broader cross-section of Dallas
> residents, and likely more enthusiasm for JFK, but Connally wanted the elite
> and the Trade Mart.
> I've seen no evidence that LBJ tried to put Yarborough with
> Kennedy--traditionally, the Governor would ride with the President, and
Jackie and staff overheard the blowout of an argument. What may be
traditional would not even stand in the way of regular Texas politics
much less the devious mind of an LBJ.
> there was never a change in that plan. LBJ just didn't want Yarborough, an
> old political rival, riding in HIS car, seeking rather to shunt him off to
> ride with other members of Congress.
> Zirbel's book is very informative, but not always reliable.
>
It may not be a perfect book, but you're off so far on this one.
CJ
r2bz...@sbcglobal.net
SNIP>
> The motorcade was to follow the traditional Dallas parade route that had
> been used since at least 1936. However, because few spectators were
> expected at the end of the traditional route, it was originally proposed
> that the motorcade would avoid the TSBD area and would proceed straight
> ahead on Main Street, allowing the motorcade to build up speed on a
> straightaway before getting on to the expressway (Stemmons). But the
> route that was eventually selected for the end of the motorcade required a
> turn off the parade street (Main Street), travel on a side street for one
> block (Houston Street), a sharp turn onto another street (Elm Street past
> the TSBD), and then a procession straight for one block on to the freeway.
>
***The entrance to Stemmons, at Main and Houston, was on Elm Street.
One could not build up speed on Main Street and enter the Stemmons on
ramp directly. One had to build up speed on Elm, to enter teh
Stemmons on ramp at increased speed.
***Ron Judge
tomnln
HOW could you say that Houston was a 1-way street in 1963?
That's FALSE.
Furthermore;
Elm to Stemmons
Main to Industrial
BOTH intersect at the Trade Mart.
Care to address your "Mistake"?
"bigdog" <jecorb...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1192108019....@57g2000hsv.googlegroups.com...
Anthony Marsh
It's not a matter of speed. It's a matter of accessibility.
> ***Ron Judge
>
>
Anthony Marsh
You phrased that incorrectly. Houston was not a one way street. It was a
two way street. They went up the left side of the street in the wrong
direction. Motorcades, parades do that all the time.
curtjester1
cutters would take (somewhat illegally). For the motorcade all there
needed to be was a little moulding for smoothing the tires, and would
be basically a soft speed bump and they would have just had a straight
shot onto the end of Elm and the freeway entrance.
> The bottom line is that once it was decided the motorcade would take the
> Stemmons freeway to the Trade Mart, it would have made no sense at all to
> continue on Main St through Dealey Plaza.
A ninety degree turn violated Secret Service protocol. It was the
purposeful avoidance of the area by Law Enforement giving Lawson and
Sorrels and pre-ride days before that kept it from becoming an issue.
CJ
Anthony Marsh
That is simply not true. All the planned routes of all motorcades had 90
degree turns.